Thrive in 5 – Dual B.S./M.S. Program

At the time a student applies to the program, the student must:

1. Be enrolled at Mississippi State University in one of the eight Bagley College of Engineering programs;
2. Have at least 75 hours earned toward their respective B.S. degree (senior standing); and
3. Have an overall cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 3.50.

An application package consists of the following items, which must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator of the Industrial and Systems Engineering department.

1. Thrive in 5 Admission Form (NOTE: Students wishing to pursue a thesis in their MS program must have the support of an advisor prior to applying for the program.)
2. One page résumé.
3. Contact information for three references (included on the application form). Ideal references are those who are knowledgeable about the academic abilities of the applicant. The department will contact these references to gather additional information as needed to determine the acceptability of the study into the program.

The Industrial and Systems Engineering Graduate Committee will review an applications three times a year (8/1, 12/1, and 5/1) to assess whether the student possesses those qualifications and interests that are indicative of successful completion of the Industrial and Systems Engineering M.S. program.

The ISE Graduate Coordinator is the student’s initial temporary advisor for graduate courses taken in the senior year, unless that student has indicated they will pursue a thesis. In this instance, the students identified research advisor will serve as the advisor for graduate courses taken in the senior year.

During the senior year a student takes graduate courses under the following conditions.

1. A maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit during the senior year. The Dean can approve exceptions, such as lab courses (4 credits), which may cause the total to exceed this limit.
2. In a term with graduate course enrollment, total undergraduate and graduate enrollment is limited to 16 credits in a Fall or Spring semester, and 6 hours total in the summer.
3. Courses at the 6000-level count toward the B.S. degree similar to the corresponding 4000-level courses. Courses at the 7000-level and above count as technical electives toward the B.S. degree.
4. The department follows the Registrar’s procedures for dual counting.
5. The student graduates with a B.S. in the normal manner.

The student remains a B.S. student until such time as they complete all requirements and receive their B.S. degree and all other undergraduate program advising should be handled by the student's respective undergraduate program department.

Upon satisfactory progress in the senior year and submission of a formal application to the M.S. program in Industrial and Systems Engineering, a student formally becomes a graduate student in the M.S. program. All required materials for admission into the graduate material must be submitted by the student to the Office of the Graduate School, as is routine. The ISE Graduate Program Guide provides information regarding required information, performance criteria and program specific details. The following outlines the procedure.

1. Early in the student’s last term in the B.S. program, the student submits an admission application package to the MSU Graduate Admissions Office consisting of the following.
   1. On-line application
   2. On-line Statement of Purpose, which may be a copy of the one used for admission to the 5-year program.
   3. GRE scores
   4. Transcripts from all institutions attended.
   5. Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be the graduate coordinator or identified research advisor.
   6. Application fee
2. The ISE Graduate Coordinator will perform the departmental review of the application. Satisfactory progress during the senior year will warrant recommending admission to the M.S. program.
3. The student is admitted to the M.S. program.
4. The student enrolls as a graduate student after completing the B.S. degree.